Emergency Appliance Repair

A typical appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.

If an appliance emergency occurs in your house, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Township Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Toms River. If there is an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside of your home, we suggest calling the town fire department before you try to extinguish the fire yourself.

An electrical fire is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an electrical appliance is in flames, it’s very important not to panic and to remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to help keep your home safe from electrical fires.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You can stop electrical fires before they start by following a few basic rules of appliance safety. Be sure not to plug in a lot of electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.

It can be easy to forget about the dangers of larger household appliances because they are plugged in all the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as smaller appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or any time you’re not at home, and try not to place a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, to prevent overworking their cooling systems inside.

Check all of the outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing noises that might point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one smoke detector on each story of your house, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in good working condition.

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it can be tempting to put out the fire with water, however water shouldn’t be used on an electrical fire.

Water will conduct electricity, and dumping water on a power source can cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to other parts of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable objects nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you should do is unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you are able to extinguish the fire on your own, it’s important to have backup if the fire does get out of control.

For little fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the fuming or burning spot with a layer of baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also may be able to extinguish a smaller fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.

For big electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected regularly to make sure they haven’t expired. If you have a operational extinguisher in the home, just release the pin at the top, point the hose at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too big to put out alone or you are concerned the fire could block an exit, you should leave the home right away, close the door , and wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Township Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we will diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to working order.

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Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
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